I used to worry about this – almost everything I said to clients was couched conditionally (‘I believe, from my viewpoint, in most circumstances’). It made me sound like a politician, inoffensive, uncommitted. And I hated it -- I stopped doing it about 20 years ago.
Let’s face it. We all are 3-4 bad decisions away from disaster, at any point. Whether we work for someone as an employee, or we run a business servicing clients, 5-6 key people could wake up on the wrong side of the bed and ruin everything we’ve built, by taking their business elsewhere, restructuring our job, or firing us.
And we’ve all had the bad stuff happen in business – we’ve lost a client, had a deal go sideways, have someone ghost us. And we’d like to think it wasn’t our fault, but maybe it was – maybe we came across wrong, maybe someone can do a better job, maybe there’s a better price elsewhere. So there's a reason to be cautious -- but you may lose more than you gain by taking that route.
I think there’s benefit to being fearless. Tell clients what your profit margins are (or aren’t) on their paper. Speak loudly to colleagues about who your clients are and who you have business relationships with (as long as your clients don’t mind, of course). Be transparent about your vendors and your experiences with them (good or bad). Tell people what you think are reasonable business processes and which ones aren’t.
A few weeks ago, I made a simple LinkedIn post about a client I fired -- it got over 4400 impressions and sparked a number of positive, productive, and sometime humorous conversations. In my mind, that's what I am talking about here.
This blog, that’s been going now for 15 years, and I’ve spent a lot of time being brutally honest. Most times I feel like I’m channeling my inner Lewis Black when I get on a good rant. And yet, surprisingly, I have yet to be punched in the face at a credit conference (but there’s still time), I haven’t lost a client over it, I have not become a social pariah. I’ve had people have lively discussions with me, and disagree with me – that’s great, and some of them have changed my mind on things. But I’ve also gained clients from being honest, opened up relationships with colleagues, and I have something to show about who I am and what I believe.
Scott Stratten’s book Unmarketing talks about displaying
expertise. Don’t try to be ‘the expert’,
that’s arrogant. Try to be ‘an expert’
in what you know. You can’t be an expert
if you are a yes man, or afraid to put your opinions out there.
I’m on a webcast this coming Monday, with
AccountsRecovery.net. You can register
here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7417525936944/WN_E5fd6knfTburBLYPDaiEyQ. I have no idea if my opinions are going to go
over well – let’s see together?
Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer
KINGSTON Data & Credit
Cambridge, Ontario
226-946-1730
blair@receivableaccounts.com
